The present invention relates in general to building construction and more particularly to an apparatus for interfacing between a drywall and an exterior curtain wall mullion.
Today""s labor intensive method of finishing out the drywall to curtain wall termination has not changed since construction of the early skyscrapers like the Chrysler Building in Chicago and the Empire State Building in New York. Now, in many countries, there are requirements in building construction to provide for protection against building movement due to winds and earthquakes. However, there is no product or technique that effectively addresses the problem of interfacing the drywall and the exterior curtain wall with respect to aesthetics, function, and cost to provide appropriate protection. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a drywall to curtain wall interface that solves the problems in conventional building construction.
From the foregoing, it may be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a need has arisen for a technique to provide wind and earthquake protection in building construction. In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus for interfacing between a drywall and an exterior curtain wall mullion is provided that substantially eliminates or reduces disadvantages and problems associated with conventional building construction techniques.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for interfacing between a drywall and an exterior curtain wall mullion that includes a first member in contact with a first face of the exterior curtain wall mullion and a second member in contact with a second face of the exterior curtain wall mullion. The first and second members are pivotally coupled to the drywall. An elastic element couples the first member to the second member. The apparatus allows for inward and outward movement, as well as side to side motion, of the exterior curtain wall mullion with respect to the drywall.
The present invention provides various technical advantages over conventional building construction techniques. For example, one technical advantage is to provide both wind and earthquake protection for a building. Another technical advantage is to retard high and low frequency sound from passing through a building. Yet another technical advantage is to provide an easy to install, durable, and cost effective construction technique for wind, sound, and earthquake protection. Other technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, description, and claims.